the Ugly Side of Getting Rich

ORIGINAL POST

Now that these status symbols have become ubiquitous, Greenfield said some groups, such as the new Asian rich, are gravitating toward such aristocratic pursuits as polo and sailing.

“There’s an etiquette class in China, where people spend $16,000 for a two-week course where they learn how to pronounce luxury brands, eat caviar, and sit at the table like a Westerner,” she said.

The school, known as the Institute Sarita in Beijing, was founded by Sara Jane Ho, a Hong Kong-born entrepreneur educated at Phillips Exeter Academy, Georgetown University, and Harvard Business School.

She offers two courses: a 12-day hostessing class for married women ($16,000), and a 10-day debutante course for unmarried women ($13,000). Ho is quoted in the book as saying that “in China we have a culture of conspicuous consumption, but my students are trying to move beyond just buying a label for its label.”